These delicious homemade scones are super quick and easy to make and so light and fluffy, once you’ve made them you will be hooked and never buy storebought scones again!
What’s to love about this recipe
- Homemade scones are super tasty, way better than anything you can buy in the shops I promise.
- Simplicity – this is a super easy scone recipe.
- Speed – homemade scones are ready start to finish in about 20 minutes including the baking time!
- Ecconomical – these simple scones have only 4 ingredients and none are expensive, it is all store cupboard stuff you will already have in the kitchen.
Whether you like your scones with cream and jam or with butter as they just come out of the oven, this recipe for simple scones should tick all the boxes for you.
How do you pronounce scones?
I’m from Scotland and we say scone to rhyme with lawn. In southern England they tend to rhyme scone with own. Whatever you decide to call them a good homemade scone is a delicious tea time treat.
The inspiration
I’ve been baking scones for as long as I can remember. They were the first things my Mum taught me how to bake when I was a little girl.
She taught me well when it came to baking as I’ve gone on to have my own Scottish baking book published that is now into its third print run and sells worldwide. You can see more about Simply Scottish Cakes & Bakes which you can find on my book page.
Once into that, you’ll find yourself baking up a storm and have a kitchen liberally covered in flour and yourself at least half a stone heavier if you eat all your lovely bakes. I certainly put on that much weight and more when I was writing the book.
The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
There are only 4 main ingredients in this simple homemade scones recipe;
Flour – I’ve used self-raising (baking flour) flour for my scones. Self-raising flour already has a rising agent added to it so you get lighter fluffier scones.
Butter – use unsalted or salted butter. I always like to use unsalted butter for my scone recipe and just add a pinch of salt to my mixture.
Milk – you can use full-fat milk or semi-skimmed milk for these simple homemade scones. I wouldn’t try making them with skimmed milk though.
Sugar – caster sugar and not much of it. You don’t want your homemade scones to taste too sweet. Scones are not meant to be as sweet as cakes.
How to make homemade scones
You want your butter to be chilled so you can rub it in with the flour, sugar and salt to get a nice breadcrumb-like mixture.
Now add the milk and mix well to make a dough for your scones.
Roll out the scone dough on a lightly floured surface (so it doesn’t stick to the board/work surface) and make sure it is about 2cm/1″ thick (or go to 1 1/2″). Don’t roll out the dough too thinly or you will get really flat looking scones.
Use a fluted cookie cutter to cut out each scone but DO NOT twist the cutter when you pull it up out of the scone dough. If you twist the cutter your scones with twist in the oven and come out misshapen.
Brush your scones with a little milk before baking. This will give them a nice golden colour.
Bake these simple scones in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the scones are lightly golden.
Flavour additions for scones
You can add all sorts of tasty extras to your homemade scones. From dried fruit to chocolate chips or cheese and chives. Check out my other scone recipes below for some great ideas.
Once you have made these simple scones you’ll be whipping them up on a regular basis, a great way to show off your lovely homemade jams and jellies that you’ll find all over this blog, just check out my homemade jams section for loads of ideas.
Serving suggestions
Of course, the traditional way to serve these is with cream and jam as you do in a cream tea. Go on, go for it, forget the calories and just enjoy!
Scones and cream teas
The classic British cream tea means a scone with clotted cream and jam (usually strawberry jam). There is always great debate as to whether the cream or the jam goes on the scone first. I like to serve my scones with cream and jam with the cream on first. It is all a matter of personal choice really.
How long do they keep?
Homemade scones are always best on the day you make them, however, they will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
When I keep them like this I like to warm them up a little before serving just to freshen them up a wee bit.
Can you freeze scones?
Yes, you can, scones freeze really well. Just pop them into a freezer-proof container and they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before eating. I like to warm mine in the oven first.
Looking for more scone baking inspiration? Then check out these quick and easy recipes;
Scotch pancakes (aka drop scones) + video
Potato scones (aka tattie scones)
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Quick and easy simple scones
Ingredients
- 225 g self raising flour
- 50 g unsalted butter diced and chilled
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 150 ml milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with paper
- Sift flour, salt and sugar into large bowl and gently rub in the butter with fingertips to make breadcrumb like mixture
- Stir in the milk till you get a workable dough and tip out on to floured surface
- Roll out to 2-3cm (3/4”) thick and cut into rounds, brush with a little milk to glaze them
- Bake for 15 mins or until golden and cool on wire rack (makes approx 8)
I the scones
Thanks
K
I love simple scones.
Hi Lydia
Glad you like the scones
K
I love making scones but I usually put 1 egg and a small amount of milk in to bind the mixture – I will certainly try your recipe with milk rather than egg and milk. Thank you.
Hi Shiela
Hope you enjoy the scones
K
My scones never rise very well and it’s the same with this recipe. What am I doing wrong ?
Found recipe very easy to follow so I must be doing something wrong.
Hi Margaret
Make sure your ingredients are in date, that you aren’t over mixing, that oven is hot enough before you put them in to bake and that they arent spaced too far apart. All these things can make a difference to the rise in scones. hope something here helps.
K
Hi Shiela, a good recipe. Incidentally I’m Scottish and I would never say scone to rhyme with lawn. Always rhymes with “own” in central and west Scotland. Maybe you are east coast or borders, or a typo maybe?
Hi Jess.
No idea who Sheila is, maybe its a typo. I am from Edinburgh and that is how we have always pronounced the word scone. Quite frankly it doesn’t really matter as long as you enjoy eating them.
K
Hi Karon, I agree with you that it doesn’t matter where one comes from. I’m in Australia and have just joined your your site as a member because I saw too many absolutely gorgeous drop-dead recipes. I love a “Good ‘ol Scone” and your recipe here is the same as my mother used to make and always win 1st prize at our country shows. Thank you for sharing all your cooking expertise.
Hi Josephine
Great to have you visit my blog all the way from Australia and good to hear you like a good old fashioned scone too.
K
Can the self-rising flour be substituted ?
Hi Noreen
You can make your own self raising flour by adding 2 tsp baking powder to 150g plain flour. Hope this helps.
K
I am 84 and never cooked in my life. Tried your recipe and they came out fantastic. You made an old man very happy
Hi Derek
Glad the scones were such a success and you enjoyed them so much.
K
Thank you for this lovely but very easy recipe. My friends and family really enjoyed the scones.
Hi Marie,
So glad you all enjoyed the scones so much, thanks for letting me know.
K
I love how simple and beautiful the scones are my kids love them.
Hi Niall
So glad the recipe was such a success for you and that your kids loved the scones so much.
K
I just made these scones and I love them! Easy enough for someone like me who has never made scones before
Hi Zann
Great to hear you liked the scones so much and found them easy to make.
K
I made scones for an English tea party sticking religiously to your recipe. ( 1st time in my life making scones lol. ) Got lots of compliments from my friends and family. So thank you very much!!!
Hi Maria
So glad my recipe for scones turned out so well for you and that everyone liked them so much.
K
Great recipe, my scones worked perfectly
Hi Sarah
YThanks so much, glad you liked the scones so much.
K
Hello, can i please ask if the servings equate to 1 scone each or 2?
Hi Alison,
Recipe makes 8 scones and calories are therefore calculated per scone. So it depends how many you want to eat as to how many calories, but the values shown are per scone. Hope this helps
K